What is the last film you watched?

[Morlock 11]

Very true.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

As I've thought about the movie over the last couple of days -- after seeing it twice on Wednesday -- I've come to the conclusion that it has serious problems in terms of structure and content, and all things considered is probably one of Spielberg's weakest overall movies . . .

. . . but I still love it! There are just too many scenes that work, too many lovely moments, for me to get wrapped up in the things that could have been better developed.

The theme of Indy being blacklisted, for example, is introduced as if it's going to be crucial, but disappears almost immediately. Perhaps we are just supposed to recognize that he fights for America after this despite what's being done to him; more likely, Koepp stole it from another screenplay, Lucas never noticed, and Spielberg was too busy thinking about Tintin to care. Also, there is almost nothing for either Mutt or Marion to do during the climax; it probably would have been wise to have them be in some sort of peril that Indy had to rescue them from.

And there's more, all of which has probably been discussed here already.

But the things that are on-screen are too tempting a treat for me to fret too much over what isn't on-screen. Others won't be able to set those lacking elements aside as easily, and I understand and sympathize.

For me, though, it's a big winner. A qualified big winner, but big nonetheless.

Bring on Mutt Williams and the ----- of -----!

[Jacob 0]

Watched National Treasure: Book of Secrets on DVD Wednesday.

As a fan of the first movie, this one was a fun ride as well - though Ed Harris wasn't as good a villain as Sean Bean. Not much to say beyond that, except that the score was pretty much the same as the first but with a secondary Book of Secrets theme which is actually quite beautiful in places. It shares the same first 5 notes of Luke and Leia but then takes off on it's own.

Saw Indiana Jones on Thursday. I'll comment on that later. I'm still in shock.

Then watched Book of Secrets again tonight and couldn't help but notice a few (surely coincidental) similarities with Indy IV, and not just the obvious, er, "inspiration". The characters both chase after an ancient city of "gold". An older bickering couple gets back together about midway through the movie and exchange supposedly comical banter until the end. Both have similar finales in that the large group of 4-6 "heroes" have to escape the climactic set piece to avoid certain death. Not unheard of, but ironically enough they both do so by exiting through a water filled tunnel

and the one unsavory character in the group gets left behind

.

Just, interesting how that ended up...

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (****)

Perfect as always.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (**1/2)

Better than I remembered it to be, but honestly, the movie only takes place in 1 location. It didn't have that adventurous feel of the original, the story always felt doomed, without any optimism and fun!

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (***1/2)

Very good. A huge improvement on Temple Of Doom, but not as good as the original.

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (***)

This rating is just here for comparison.

[Morlock 11]

I went to the Cinemateque to see Jules Dassin's Rififi. It's been a while since I was so instantly convinced that a movie I am seeing is one of the greatest I've ever seen. It is ridiculously well made. I was sceptical about the prospect of a 26-minute sequence without any dialogue or music. But it is every bit as great as it is said to be. The attention to detail, the believability of it, is thrilling. The silence emphasizes the silent professionalism of the crew beautifully. And while the rest of the movie can't quite live up to the brilliance of that one sequence, the it is still mightily compelling. The final sequence is beautiful and involving, despite the fact that it is quite a cliche.

Along with The Killing, currently my favorite heist film ever. Must get Topkapi.

[crocodile 7,984]

No, i think Lucas and Spielberg were desperatly trying to set this film in the 50's.

The first part has everything we now associate with that era. But it is done to the point of distraction.

And it's pointless because once they get to South America, the decade becomes unimportant.

So, in the end, the whole point of all of this was to justify Ford's age.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

As if "we were younger" wouldn't have taken care of that perfectly.

[Ollie 1,059]

Raiders Of The Lost Ark *****

I feel better now, KOTCS was nothing but a dream. Indiana Jones was in a great film.

[publicist 4,643]

I feel better now, KOTCS was nothing but a dream. Indiana Jones was in a great film.

After watching 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Lara Croft's Mummy' now, it dawns on me that the end of the movie industry may be all this damn cross-referencing. This was not a film about the character Henry Jones jr., but an exercise in outdoing 'Tomb Raider' and 'Mummy' movies. Without much success, i may add....man-eating ants???? Aren't there enough frightening real creatures in the Amazonas, anyway?

Why has Spielberg to compete with loud, noisy and decidedly empty CGI pictures? There are so many great myths in christian culture, but alas, we are treated to a shabby spectacle without mystery, with chases seen many moons before and a cast respectfully rotting away at the hands of a director who once has re-invented this very genre.

God forbid the 'creative' forces at work here would try to re-invent the wheel of the mighty summer blockbuster. A good film may have come out of it.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Ants can actually do that. Watch the Discovery Channel.

[publicist 4,643]

Ants can actually do that. Watch the Discovery Channel.

That's what the makers of 'Deep Blue Sea' said about their makos, too.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

What'd they say about their makos?

Seriously though, ants can do that. They swarm and kill by numbers.

[indy4 155]

Yeah, I heard that they've been known to take down horses. That's pretty frightening.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

One thing I wonder about those ants:

Are we meant to think that they're alien in origin, since they're repelled by the skull?

Personally, I love the ant scene. It's just plain gross, and fits in well with similar scenes in the rest of the series.

[Ollie 1,059]

No that's reading too much into it.

It just means the skull has some mysterious power or creates some kind of sound/vibrations that causes the ants to avoid it.

[indy4 155]

Recount: A really brilliant film. Incredibly upsetting, however, with the terrible truth of all the corruption. I'm just glad this was made before November.

I was watching it with my friend, and he noted the irony of what became of the two candidates--one started a war, one won the Nobel Peace Prize.

[A24 4,326]

The Sweet Hereafter: I wasn't really fascinated by it. It was okay but the film mourns too much about its own premise. Of course, the premise is incredibly sad but I never felt that from the story.

Magnolia: There are some very powerful moments in this film but on the whole I'm not really okay with it. For my taste, some parts are too melodramatic, other parts too hysterical. Impressive, nevertheless. William H. Macy's fixation for the bartender is amazing. A must-see!

Alex

[Morlock 11]

The Sweet Hereafter: I wasn't really fascinated by it. It was okay but the film mourns too much about its own premise. Of course, the premise is incredibly sad but I never felt that from the story.

Really? Too bad. I loved the feel of the film, and the premise was really sad...but I got distinct hints that there was an extra level going on in this movie. It's a level that reveals something about the Ian Holm character, and it's something that notched up the movie from being a somber movie about mourning, added another point of view, and fleshed out one of the film's rather devastating themes.

Magnolia: There are some very powerful moments in this film but on the whole I'm not really okay with it. For my taste, some parts are too melodramatic, other parts too hysterical. Impressive, nevertheless. William H. Macy's fixation for the bartender is amazing. A must-see!

I like the melodrama of it. And I think the movie asks us to forgive the melodrama at the very begining. I did. I like certain stories more than others, but I just accept them all. I admire the movie's elegance, the movie's ambition...for me, it was like Robert Altman's Shortcuts, just far more melodramatic. And, in this case, that made it far more compelling material. More filmic. More focused.

Also, I loved the frogs.

[A24 4,326]

I'm not sure if the word "elegance" is in place here since the movie uses virtually every trick in the book to be compelling. P.T. Anderson hasn't exactly been greedy with manipulation techniques. The film feels like a baroque opera.

Alex

[QMM 4]

Did you like the score Alex?

[A24 4,326]

Did you like the score Alex?

I noticed that there's a lot of music in the Magnolia (pop songs and instrumental strings music) and that the overall mix was very loud. I didn't really hear any standouts, probably because the music is almost nonstop.

Alex

[Morlock 11]

I just saw The Big Country. The DVD transfer sucked, everything looked pale on it. But I did like the movie. It's not revolutionary, but it had a few more shades of grey than I was expecting in a western. It's a bit awkwardly built, but I was impressed how quickly the 167 minutes of it passed. Lovely cinematography, decent acting (Peck was good, Heston was good, Burl Ives was good, in his oscar winning role), very convincing production design. The reason I watched it was mainly for the score, though. And that was a bit odd in the film. s expected, it hit all the right notes when it came to sprawling shots. But, too often, it painted darker scenes with very light-hearted gestures, and sometimes seemed to score the big shot we were seeing, but not the implications of the scene. It often felt inappropriate. I got the sense that Moross was asked to lighten the tone of the piece. It's grand music, but didn't always strike me as the most appropriately placed.

Overall- a decent western. It has no need to be as long as it is, but the length doesn't hurt it.

[Maglorfin 196]

Total Recall, it was on TV tonight. It was like meeting an old friend again, all the more so for Jerry's magnificent score.

"For the memory of the lifetime - Rekall, Rekall, Rekall!"

[indy4 155]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Third time, baby! Brilliant, as always. ****1/2/*****

I must add that every time I've seen the film, the audience laughs most when

Mutt swings like Tarzan

. And they aren't laughing at him. So ha.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

I'm ready for a second viewing, hopefully I'll get to go sometime this week.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Face/Off ***/****

on Blu-Ray

I've forgotten how great of an action movie this is, definitely one of my favorites. Original story, great performances from Cage and Travolta, and intense action sequences. Not to mention the superb score by John Powell. I don't think any other composer has a better first score than Powell.

The Fifth Element ****/****

on Blu-Ray

This is definitely one of my favorite films. It is perfect in every aspect. I wish they still made movies like this one today, the make-up, costumes, production design, CGI. None of it looks dated. I can confidently say it has better CGI than effing Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, and this was made back in the 90's! Exceptional performances from Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker, and everyone else. Eric Serra's score is flawless; it fits the film like a glove and is lush with themes.

[Morlock 11]

Don't remember The Fifth Element much. I think I kind of liked it, the first time I saw it.

Face/Off used to be fun. It wasn't the last time I checked. The story is rather dumb...all an excuse for the role-playing the two guys do, and it's fun, but not enough fun to last. The score is far too typical MV. None of the grace and style Powell developed later on. The theme is over-used, too.

I just saw The Italian Job (2003) again. The movie feels much like it did in 2003: A big budget action movie with very few pretentions. I guess it is as disposable as any such movie. But I enjoy this one. More than the original, even though Noel Coward was wonderful in that. Mark Wahlberg is a bit bored in the lead...but Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Seth Green are terrific. Now here's a good John Powell score. Achieves a very nice balance between slick, 00's electronica and a smooth 70's Schifrin vibe. Looking back, I'm impressed that so many critics picked up on the modest pleasures of this film. I thought it was just me. ***/****.

Right before it, I saw The Bank Job in the theater. Pretty damn decent. It was more serious than I expected, but the solemness of the presentation made the occaisional levity all the funnier. I was quite engaging, a rare thriller that I didn't know how it was going to end, even deep into the second half. A bit on the slight job, but I found it to be a fine diversion. I especially liked the bits not dealing with our protagonist...the scheming of the authoroties is painted in a supremely entertaining manner. **1.2/****.

I am really in a heist film mood recently. After Rififi (again- one of the greatest movies ever), and these two, I already rented Topkapi. I think I feel like one more...any suggestions?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Don't remember The Fifth Element much. I think I kind of liked it, the first time I saw it.

Face/Off used to be fun. It wasn't the last time I checked. The story is rather dumb...all an excuse for the role-playing the two guys do, and it's fun, but not enough fun to last. The score is far too typical MV. None of the grace and style Powell developed later on. The theme is over-used, too.

You should revisist The Fifth Element. You probably won't adore it as much as I do, but I'm sure you can appreciate most of it.

The story in Face/Off is dumb, but then again the whole movie was originally supposed to be a sci-fi film. I still find it original and entertaining. I always enjoy Cage on the screen, he was great back in the day, and he still tries to be today. He fails at it today, but I still get a huge laugh out of all the stuff he does because it is so bad. Travolta is enjoyable in his role as well. As for the score, I find that it strays pretty far from what MV was typical for back then. The 2 themes are great, and I didn't mind their frequent pop-up. But you must admit, it is pretty damn good for his first score.

[Morlock 11]

I actually dislike Cage from back then. Better than 80's Cage...but still, pretty annoying. I've only come to like him recently, especially after his great performance in The Lord of War. Orchestration wise, the score sounds no different than most other MV scores. Theme is more memorable (although it got quite annoying after all the cheesy MV orchestrations it was put through), that's all.

[A24 4,326]

I can't stand The Fifth Element (so Morlock will be in for a treat, should he revisit, that is).

Aliens: Well, what can I say, the special edition is better than the theatrical cut. This time I watched it with my son. He liked this one more than the original (more tension, more plot, blah, blah). Personally, the xenomorph has no longer any effect on me. That's what you get with franchising. In the end, I still prefer Scott's film, simply because it looks better and because it has less cliché characters. Of course, aesthetics are not so important to kids.

Alex

[Bryant Burnette 654]

I can't stand The Fifth Element (so Morlock will be in for a treat, should he revisit, that is).

Aliens: Well, what can I say, the special edition is better than the theatrical cut. This time I watched it with my son. He liked this one more than the original (more tension, more plot, blah, blah). Personally, the xenomorph has no longer any effect on me. That's what you get with franchising. In the end, I still prefer Scott's film, simply because it looks better and because it has less cliché characters. Of course, aesthetics are not so important to kids.

Alex

Yeah, the years of exposure to the Alien have taken away some of its ability to frighten. Luckily, Alien and Aliens are just great, beautifully-made movies all around, so they aren't totally reliant on the scares.

And though it isn't on par with the first two, I still stand by Alien 3 as a good movie. (The extended cut of that one is an improvement, too.) David Fincher has yet to disappoint me, and if the awesome trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is any indication, he won't this year, either.

Alien Resurrection . . . not great. Good scenes, mediocre overall.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

David Fincher is a horrible director, and Alien 3 is a horrible film, just ask James Cameron, 4 is an improvement. Se7en had to have been an accident as nothing else he's director outside of Madonna's videos are worth watching.

Watched Young Frankenstein, still funny, still well shot still a minor classic.

I can't for the life of me think why anyone would like Face Off, its terrible on every level, even taken strictly as a camp film, course I can't decide who has less talent or is a worse director, Fincher or Woo.

[Ollie 1,059]

Young Frankenstein is a masterpiece of comedy.

To rephrase a saying about Alien 3, it's the best looking bad film I've seen.

Goldenthal's music and the cinematography are excellent but the story is poor.

The Fifth Element is a fun film with some interesting casting choices, good performances and solid visuals that elevates it from something you might see on the Sci-fi network to an actual A level film.

Nicholas Cage is one of my least favorite actors and I don't think I own any of his films.

[A24 4,326]

To rephrase a saying about Alien 3, it's the best looking bad film I've seen.

Goldenthal's music and the cinematography are excellent but the story is poor.

Hmm, I actually could say these same things about Alien. Really, it's about film, not about story. Anyone can tell a good story. That's why there are so many books . In time, the story is the first thing that fades away. What remains is what you cannot grasp. Magic!

[Red 75]

Let me just say that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button looks wonderful. It's trailer is the best I've seen in quite a while.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

To rephrase a saying about Alien 3, it's the best looking bad film I've seen.

Goldenthal's music and the cinematography are excellent but the story is poor.

Hmm, I actually could say these same things about Alien. Really, it's about film, not about story. Anyone can tell a good story. That's why there are so many books . In time, the story is the first thing that fades away. What remains is what you cannot grasp. Magic!

then why do so few do?

and the last line I'm not so sure about, often the magic fades away, waiting to be discovered again perhaps, but sometimes not.

I know you didn't mean to imply Alien was a bad film but you did.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Whatever the case, you all love AVP.

[A24 4,326]

To rephrase a saying about Alien 3, it's the best looking bad film I've seen.

Goldenthal's music and the cinematography are excellent but the story is poor.

Hmm, I actually could say these same things about Alien. Really, it's about film, not about story. Anyone can tell a good story. That's why there are so many books . In time, the story is the first thing that fades away. What remains is what you cannot grasp. Magic!

then why do so few do?

and the last line I'm not so sure about, often the magic fades away, waiting to be discovered again perhaps, but sometimes not.

I know you didn't mean to imply Alien was a bad film but you did.

It's not the story, it's the way you tell something (anything). Therein lies the magic, Joe. It doesn't go away.

What makes Alien great isn't the story.

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

I maintain that Alien³ has a poor story, but it's serviceable enough to watch the movie for the grand visuals and music.

Young Frankenstein I saw for the first time recently. It had a few funny jokes, but overall it left me rather cold. There just didn't seem enough to hold the jokes together for a good movie to me.

[Morlock 11]

I agree with Marian about Young Frankenstein.

[A24 4,326]

I maintain that Alien³ has a poor story, but it's serviceable enough to watch the movie for the grand visuals and music.

I think Alien3 is told badly. Its MTV visuals and capable score couldn't save it.

[tpigeon 3]

David Fincher is a horrible director, and Alien 3 is a horrible film, just ask James Cameron, 4 is an improvement. Se7en had to have been an accident as nothing else he's director outside of Madonna's videos are worth watching.

Watched Young Frankenstein, still funny, still well shot still a minor classic.

I can't for the life of me think why anyone would like Face Off, its terrible on every level, even taken strictly as a camp film, course I can't decide who has less talent or is a worse director, Fincher or Woo.

Zodiac is a very good movie; one of the finest in recent years.

Ted

[Morlock 11]

I agree with Ted. And I like all the Fincher films I've seen to one extent or another (Alien3 being the only one I haven't seen).

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

I haven't seen Zodiac yet. Se7en and Fight Club are among my favourite movies. I like the others as well, though after what came before, Panic Room was a disappointment. It's a reasonably enjoyable movie, and the features on the 3-disc set gave me a vague impression of why they were excited about doing it, but in the end it's far more ambitious in concept than in what it ends up as.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

David Fincher is a horrible director, and Alien 3 is a horrible film, just ask James Cameron, 4 is an improvement. Se7en had to have been an accident as nothing else he's director outside of Madonna's videos are worth watching.

Watched Young Frankenstein, still funny, still well shot still a minor classic.

I can't for the life of me think why anyone would like Face Off, its terrible on every level, even taken strictly as a camp film, course I can't decide who has less talent or is a worse director, Fincher or Woo.

Zodiac is a very good movie; one of the finest in recent years.

Ted

I must admit I've not seen Zodiac, but I'm reluctant because its fincher, but I will trust you and give it a shot one of these days.

and I both agree and disagree with you Alex, I believe that a great film must have a solid story, but how it is told can create magic. Thats why the 1953 War of the Worlds has it, while the 2005 version does not.

[Trent B 337]

I saw Next and National Treasure 2 over the weekend. I enjoyed both especially Next.

[Morlock 11]

I was planning on avoiding the National Treasure movie altogether. But then David Bordwell says they're good. When someone like that says that something like that is good, I'm intent to listen.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

who is David Bordwell?

[Morlock 11]

A prominant film commentator. Has a blog, davidbordwell.com. Up until recently, I thought he was pretentious and condescending towards mainstream filmmaking. But looking through his blog, he is a fascinating writer on movies. When a champion of Eastern Cinema and of art films in general likes a big Hollywood blockbuster, I take notice.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

sounds like someone I won't be readin. I'd rather read Ted.